television

The Fine Line Between Performance and Authenticity

Television Mediumship: Television has always had a fascination with the unknown. From ghost-hunting programmes and psychic challenges to talk show appearances and celebrity séances, the idea of connecting with “the other side” makes compelling viewing. It plays to two human instincts: curiosity and belief. We want to be entertained, but we also want to be reassured that something beyond this life exists.

Yet somewhere between those two desires—between entertainment and truth—sits a fragile and often misunderstood world: television mediumship.

This article explores how media exposure has shaped the modern image of psychic mediums, why some fall into the trap of performance over authenticity, and how practitioners can uphold integrity even in the spotlight.

The Rise of the Televised Medium

Long before streaming and social media, psychic mediums found their audiences through live demonstrations, church services, and small spiritualist gatherings. The energy was intimate, personal, and sacred. Messages from Spirit were received quietly, passed on carefully, and respected as private exchanges between two worlds.

Then came television.

With the explosion of paranormal entertainment in the late 1990s and early 2000s, psychic mediumship went mainstream. Shows like Most Haunted, Crossing Over, and countless regional ghost-hunting series transformed what was once a niche spiritual practice into a form of reality-based entertainment.

Cameras followed every movement, microphones captured every breath, and producers edited every reaction for maximum emotional impact. Suddenly, the subtle became theatrical. The unseen world was expected to perform on demand.

The Performance Pressure

As any medium who has worked in front of an audience will know, there’s a very real psychological and energetic pressure to “produce” results. Multiply that by the presence of a camera crew, time constraints, and the demands of a broadcast schedule—and you have a situation almost designed to test one’s integrity.

Producers need “moments.” Viewers want goosebumps. The network wants ratings.

This creates an unspoken pressure: if nothing happens, it’s bad television. And that’s where the danger begins.

When the energy is forced, when the medium feels they must deliver, authenticity can slip. A vague impression may be embellished. A half-formed sense may be exaggerated. A silence may be filled with something that “sounds right.”

The tragedy is that even well-intentioned mediums can fall into this pattern without realising it. What begins as an attempt to satisfy an audience can, over time, distort one’s spiritual discipline.

The “Most Haunted” Effect

No discussion of televised mediumship is complete without acknowledging how Most Haunted shaped public expectations. It turned ghost hunting into prime-time entertainment and made the dramatic “possession” scene almost a genre trademark.

But the show also blurred the boundary between genuine mediumship and performance. Viewers came to expect shouting, trembling, or extreme emotional displays—forgetting that true spirit communication is rarely theatrical. Most of the time, it’s calm, quiet, and deeply personal.

The so-called “Kreed Kafer” incident, in which Derek Acorah appeared to channel a fictitious spirit, became symbolic of this divide. It wasn’t just one man’s moment of controversy—it was a mirror reflecting the wider issue: what happens when the need to perform eclipses the responsibility to serve Spirit truthfully.

Spirit Doesn’t Perform on Cue

The spirit world doesn’t respond to production schedules or audience demands. Communication happens when the right energetic conditions are met: respect, intention, and emotional openness.

When we commercialise that process—by forcing it into a television format—it can lose its purity. Spirits are not circus acts. They are loved ones, personalities, and consciousnesses that deserve dignity.

In my own work, I make this distinction clear: I’m a psychic entertainer, yes—but my shows are about exploring intuition, consciousness, and possibility, not about exploiting grief or claiming miraculous proof on demand. When genuine communication with Spirit occurs during a public event, it’s approached with reverence, not sensationalism.

Balancing Entertainment and Integrity

Television mediumship doesn’t have to be deceptive. In fact, when done properly, it can educate and inspire. But the key is transparency.

Authentic television mediumship should:

Acknowledge limitations – Spirit communication cannot be guaranteed, and not every moment will be dramatic.

Prioritise respect – for both the living and the departed.

Avoid over-dramatisation – the message should speak for itself.

Use disclaimers responsibly – making clear that the experience is spiritual, not scientific.

Focus on healing, not proof – the heart of mediumship is emotional connection, not entertainment value.

Some of the most powerful spiritual television moments have been quiet ones—a simple message, a tear of recognition, a moment of shared understanding. These resonate far longer than any staged possession ever could.

Psychic Entertainment vs. Mediumship

This is where language matters.

As a psychic entertainer, I’m upfront that my performances blend intuition, psychology, and spiritual awareness in a format designed to engage and provoke thought. It’s an exploration of possibility.

As a psychic medium, my purpose is different: it’s to connect, communicate, and bring comfort. There’s no “act” in that—it’s a service.

Both roles can coexist if approached ethically, but only when the audience understands what they’re witnessing. Confusion arises when a psychic demonstration is presented as irrefutable proof or when a performance is dressed up as divine revelation.

That’s where public trust erodes—and why the field must be clearer about its intentions.

The Emotional Authenticity Factor

True mediumship has a signature energy. It’s not about information alone—it’s about feeling.

When genuine spirit communication occurs, there’s an undeniable shift in atmosphere: a warmth, a poignancy, a sense of recognition that words can’t fake. You can see it in the sitter’s reaction—the way they lean forward, the way their eyes soften.

That emotional authenticity can’t be scripted. It doesn’t need flashing lights or eerie music. It needs sincerity.

As mediums and entertainers, we must return to that sincerity every time. The work isn’t about impressing people—it’s about touching something sacred.

Lessons for Modern Practitioners

Television mediumship may have introduced millions to spiritual ideas, but it also left a trail of scepticism. To rebuild trust, the next generation of mediums must be more transparent, more disciplined, and more self-aware than ever.

Some guiding principles:

Honour Spirit, not the spotlight. The purpose is communication, not performance.

Don’t fear silence. Spirit doesn’t speak on cue; patience shows professionalism.

Be self-reflective. Ask, “Am I performing, or am I truly connecting?”

Maintain emotional honesty. Audiences can feel when something is genuine.

Use education, not spectacle, to inspire curiosity.

When done with authenticity, even public demonstrations can become deeply meaningful—not because they “prove” anything, but because they remind us that love, consciousness, and connection continue.

My Personal View as a Working Medium

In my own shows, I consciously separate psychic entertainment from mediumship. My psychic demonstrations explore intuition, thought, and perception—how we all experience unseen communication on some level. My mediumship events, however, are sacred. They are about remembrance, not reaction.

I’m an unguided medium, meaning I do not work through a spirit guide or intermediary. My connections are direct—through clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance. This approach requires stillness, focus, and respect.

That’s why I believe mediumship should never be reduced to spectacle. True connection doesn’t need drama—it needs truth.

The Future of Mediumship on Screen

In a time when scepticism is rising but spiritual curiosity is stronger than ever, the future of television mediumship depends on integrity. Viewers are no longer content with jump-scares and theatrics. They want meaning.

Imagine a new kind of show—one that combines open-minded inquiry, respect for Spirit, and psychological insight. A show where mediums can explain their process, share their limitations, and invite discussion rather than demand belief.

That’s the direction mediumship needs to evolve toward—away from performance, and back toward purpose.

Conclusion: Authenticity is the Real Show

Mediumship isn’t about lights, cameras, or applause. It’s about consciousness and connection. When a medium stands before an audience—whether on a stage, in a small room, or through a lens—the responsibility is immense. Every word carries emotional weight. Every message touches a human life.

The “fine line” between performance and authenticity isn’t defined by the platform—it’s defined by the intention.

When your motivation is love, integrity, and service to Spirit, you don’t need theatrics. The truth speaks for itself.

So whether you work in private sittings, theatre shows, or television studios, remember this: the most powerful evidence of Spirit isn’t what you say—it’s what they feel.

You may like my last post, click the following to read Derek Acorah and the Infamous “Kreed Kafer” Possession

Television Mediumship